"Worst episode ever"

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Today was supposed to be my best day ever. I was leaving Kuala Lumpur and never coming back. I was going to Bukit Fraser (aka Fraser Hill) where all the birders go. The information I had (from Lonely Planet or some-such) said I could catch a bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru (and from thence to Bukit Fraser) from the Puduraya station, from platforms 20 or 21. Sounded easy. I left the backpackers at 6am and crossed the road to the station. No luck at those platforms, there were no buses and no ticket people. I went to the information counter. It wasn't open yet. I asked around some of the other ticket touts. One said the information I had was old info, and to go outside to Mega Coach. I did, but there were no buses and no people. I went back inside. Another person told me to go to Transnational. They didn't open till 7. I went away and tried the internet. The Bukit Fraser sites said to catch the bus from platforms 21-23. I went back and asked at Transnational because it was now after 7. They didn't go there, try platform 22. I did. The ticket guy now there said no they didn't go there either, go to counter 11. There was no-one there. I asked at the information desk which was now open. Go down to platform 9 and buy from the counter down there. There was no counter that I could see but the driver said he could take me there for 6 Ringgits. Excellent. I paid him, got on the bus, relaxed, then thought I'd better double check with the driver. Turns out that no, he wasn't going to Kuala Kubu Bahru after all. Grabbed my bags, headed back up to the information desk. Platform 18 he says, buy the ticket from the counter down there. Went down there, counter didn't open till 8.30 because it was Sunday. I had an hour to wait. I got some food, waited around, went back at 8.20. No I don't go to Kuala Kubu Bahru the driver tells me, I have to go catch the bus outside the Bangkok Bank. I am ever so slightly peeved by now. I head back to the information desk and give the guy a right blasting. Then I found another ticket tout. Go to Transnational she tells me. I already had but I try again. Yes we go there, I'm told, just go to platform 23 and you can pay the driver on the bus. Finally! I stand at the platform...I ask a ticket guy who gets off a bus there. Yes yes, the bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru leaves from here, just wait and it will come. I wait 40 minutes, no bus. A mass of backpackers board a bus for the Cameron Highlands. Poor saps, going to a tourist trap like the Cameron Highlands; I'm tempted to join them. Finally I ask a guy in a yellow safety jacket. No, no bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru leaves from here, you need to go outside, catch the red Selangor bus. About now is where my head would have exploded if I'd been a cartoon. I went outside to where the Selangor buses come in. I left some people at platform 23 who were waiting for their bus to Singapore, and they had flights to connect with; I don't know if they ever made it out. I asked a ticket guy, yes the red Selangor bus will take you there. I wait ten minutes, no bus. I ask another guy. No, no, you need to go down the street to those buses, they will take you there; if you want to see fireflies catch the Selangor bus but not to go to Kuala Kubu Bahru. I dragged my gear down the road, pondering whether to just take a taxi. It would cost me about $100 probably, but at least I'd get there! The bus drivers said they didn't go to Kuala Kubu Bahru, I had to go to outside the Bangkok Bank. What the hell, I was already half way there. When I got there, the ticket guy tells me, wait for it... YES, they do go there. The bus right there would take me to Rawang and then another bus to Kuala Kubu Bahru. I repeated it back to him, and he confirmed. Was I really finally leaving the Armpit of Asia? Or had I passed out in Puduraya and was just having a beautiful dream? Yay, I finally left on the bus a mere three and a half hours after first starting out.

I got into Rawang, got the next bus no problem, and got into Kuala Kubu Bahru at 11.40. The only bus to Bukit Fraser left at 10. The taxi touts at the bus stop said they'd take me there for 70 Ringgits; I said no. Instead I stayed the night at a Chinese hotel called the Wing Wah for 22 Ringgits. I didn't like the look of the bed, so I slept on the concrete floor. I don't know if it made a difference but at least I was uncomfortable. In the morning I found out where the switches for the light and fan were -- outside the room down the hall.

PS it turned out Mega Coach did go to Kuala Kubu Bahru. I saw them there.

Item of interest: in Kuala Lumpur I saw a white guy on a huge Harley, the first non-local I've seen there on a motorbike (and the locals have little bikes so they can dodge between traffic).

Item of interest 2: I saw a local motorcyclist wearing a t-shirt that said "We support Palestine and Lebanon. Damn to the US and Israel"

ANIMAL OF THE DAY: there's a choice between common mynah, feral pigeon, house crow, tree sparrow and house geckoes. Take your pick.

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Comments

[Kevin]

Same thing here
I had the same thing happen. It seems that the ticket touts and information people don't really know. I decided to stay in KL and try again in the morning. We will see how it goes.